How we planned to raise Babcock varsity’s standards — New VC

The new President/Vice Chancellor of Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State, Prof. Afolarin Ojewole, on Monday assumed office, unveiling a five-point agenda aimed at further raising the standards of the university and its graduates.

He succeeded Prof. Ademola Tayo, following the latter’s completion of his two-term tenure of 10 years, which ended a day earlier.

Speaking at a media event on campus, the new President/Vice Chancellor promised that his administration would be strongly committed to building a globally respected, digitally integrated university rooted in Adventist values and driven by people-centred leadership, innovation, and community impact.

According to him, his administration will embrace a servant-leadership style rooted in humility, grace, vision, excellence, and courage.

He emphasized the importance of capital development, saying the administration would prioritise building people ahead of profit, programmes, or politics, with a focus on transforming lives and fostering intellectual, physical, social, and spiritual growth across the campus.

Reaffirming his five-point administrative agenda encapsulated in the acronym GRACE, Prof. Ojewole stated:
“We want to make Babcock University globally relevant by positioning it as a benchmark for higher education in Africa and beyond.
We also want to make the university research-focused by fostering innovative scholarship that addresses national and global challenges; Adventist-rooted to preserve the university’s spiritual foundation and ethical standards; as well as competent, community-driven, and entrepreneurial.”

The Vice Chancellor added that he would cultivate a team of highly skilled faculty, staff, and students who will drive the university’s entrepreneurial vision by encouraging creativity, enterprise, and economic empowerment across the campus.

He also promised a revamped student-centred portfolio, especially in admissions processes, faster transcript turnaround time, and improved meal quality to enhance student well-being.

This, he noted, includes expanding international student enrolment, increasing faculty exposure abroad, and strengthening industry linkages through research commercialization and innovation hubs to turn ideas into impact.

Prof. Ojewole outlined a bold facilities agenda, including smart classrooms equipped with interactive technology; state-of-the-art research laboratories to drive cutting-edge discoveries; renewable energy installations to reduce the university’s carbon footprint; and campus-wide recycling and upgraded sanitation systems for a healthier environment.

Prof. Ojewole is a pastor-scholar whose academic background spans Estate Management, Religious Studies, Theology, Biblical Exegesis, and Ethics — degrees earned at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and Andrews University in the United States.

Earlier, in his remarks, the immediate past Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ademola Tayo, thanked the university community and other stakeholders for their support and cooperation throughout his administration.

He noted that the leadership, faculty, staff, and students worked and prayed together as a team to elevate the university to its current status.

He wished his successor a successful tenure.